MARY_OMONOWA

Married by Mistake to the Ice-Cold CEO

Ella Carter is at rock bottom. Broke, jobless, and desperate to pay off her debts, she agrees to a shady but simple deal—sign a fake marriage contract in exchange for a life-changing sum of money. It’s supposed to be a harmless formality, just a few signatures, and she’s free.

But when she wakes up the next morning, she’s no longer a fake wife. She’s legally married to Adrian Blackwood, the ruthless billionaire CEO with a heart of ice and a glare that could freeze fire. Worse, he believes she’s nothing more than a conniving gold digger who trapped him into this marriage.

Determined to end their arrangement as soon as possible, Adrian is cold, cruel, and utterly unshaken by Ella’s protests. He wants her gone. But there’s one problem—she refuses to be intimidated. Unlike everyone else in his life, she fights back, and to his shock, she actually wins their battles.

The more they argue, the more their tension ignites. And the more Adrian tries to push her away, the more he finds himself drawn to her defiant spirit, her fire, her ability to see the man behind the icy mask.

But when secrets come to light and enemies lurk in the shadows, their marriage of convenience becomes a battlefield of trust, passion, and betrayal.

Will Adrian let down his walls and accept the one woman who dares to stand by his side? Or will Ella walk away before she loses her heart to a man who never planned to keep her?

One mistake. One contract. One marriage neither of them saw coming.

Married by Mistake to the Ice-Cold CEO

The Ember Lounge smelled like expensive whiskey and quiet danger. Dimly lit chandeliers cast golden shadows across the leather booths, where men in tailored suits whispered about deals worth millions. It was the kind of place where people signed papers that could change lives—or destroy them.

Ella Carter sat rigid in her seat, fingers gripping the edge of the table as Lena slid a crisp, cream-colored folder toward her.

"It's just a contract," Lena said smoothly, stirring her martini. "Sign it, and your problems disappear."

Ella hesitated before flipping the folder open. The bold black letters at the top of the page made her breath hitch.

MARRIAGE AGREEMENT

The words blurred as she skimmed the document.

"You said this was just a business arrangement," Ella whispered.

Lena took a sip of her drink, eyes gleaming with amusement. "It is. You sign this, get married on paper, and in exchange, you get paid. No love, no commitment, no messy emotions. Just a legal technicality."

A fake marriage. A contract with a stranger.

It sounded insane. Crazy. But so was losing her apartment in less than forty-eight hours. So was letting her mother suffer because Ella couldn't afford her medication.

She forced herself to focus on the terms:

Duration: Six months minimum, renewable upon agreement. Financial Compensation: $200,000 upon signing. Additional payments if the contract is extended. Marital Expectations: Maintain the appearance of a real marriage in public. No physical intimacy required. Confidentiality: Breaching the contract results in legal action. Termination Clause: Divorce only permitted under mutual agreement or after contract expiration.

Ella swallowed hard. Two hundred thousand dollars. That kind of money could erase her debts, buy her a fresh start.

"Why does he need a wife?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lena smirked. "Does it matter?"

"It does if I'm signing my life away."

With an exaggerated sigh, Lena leaned in. "Fine. His name is Adrian Blackwood. He's the CEO of Blackwood Enterprises. Big-shot billionaire. Ruthless as hell. Needs a wife for some family inheritance clause or something—he has to be married by his next birthday to secure full control of his company."

Ella blinked. Adrian Blackwood. She had no idea who he was, but the way Lena said his name sent a shiver down her spine.

"So he's paying me to play his wife?"

"Exactly. You won't even have to deal with him. The man's too busy running an empire to care about you. You're just a name on paper."

Ella's fingers hovered over the pen.

Her instincts screamed no. But her reality—the empty bank account, the eviction notice, her mother's failing health—drowned out her fears.

It's just a signature. Just a few months. No one gets hurt.

With one final breath, she signed her name.

A strange sense of finality settled over her. As if she had just stepped off a cliff without knowing how far the fall would be.

Lena grinned, snapping the folder shut. "Congratulations, Mrs. Blackwood. Welcome to your new life."

She had no idea she had just walked straight into the lion's den.

Because Adrian Blackwood was not the kind of man to let someone into his life without a cost.

And soon, she'd realize that this wasn't just a contract—it was a cage.

This version adds more tension, deeper stakes, and a sense of impending doom while detailing the contract terms and Lena's manipulative role. Let me know if you want to tweak anything further!

Chapter 2: The Contract